The treatment of fluids is of interest in a variety of applications. As will be appreciated, both the type of fluid and the nature of the treatment may vary considerably from one application to another.
In that regard, one commonly treated fluid is water. Water from many sources must be treated before being used for internal consumption. Similarly, the quality of water in, for example, swimming pools may be adversely affected by use, requiring periodic or continuous treatment.
In each of these applications, the treatment of the water may be intended to achieve a variety of objectives. For example, particulates may need to be removed; chemical characteristics, such as chlorine, metal, alkaline, and oxygen content, may need to be controlled; and biological materials, such as algae, bacteria, and organic wastes, may need to be killed.
As suggested previously, other fluids may also require various forms of treatment. For example, engines and other machines that employ a fluid lubricant typically introduce impurities into the lubricant that must be removed if the lubricant's effectiveness is to be maintained. Also, impurities are typically removed from fluids employed in hydraulic and pneumatic systems to ensure reliable system operation.
One method of treating fluids that has found relatively widespread use and acceptance is the electrolytic treatment of fluids. The fluid to be treated is passed between one or more pairs of electrodes. An electric potential, applied to the electrodes, establishes an electric current between the electrodes. As a result, impurities in the fluid migrate and adhere to the electrodes. The electric field may also kill biological contaminants and alter the chemical structure of the fluid.
One example of such an electrolytic system is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,917,782 and 5,062,940. These patents disclose an electrolytic liquid purification system, in which the liquid to be treated is passed through a set of electrode plates. An electric field and current applied between the plates removes impurities from the liquid and causes the impurities to adhere to the plates. By periodically reversing the direction of current flow between the plates at select time intervals, the impurities may be purged from the plates and trapped by an external mechanical filter.
As will be appreciated, the ability of a such system to effectively achieve a a desired filtration or purification level in the fluid is dependent upon a variety of factors. For example, the extent and nature of the contamination, the rate at which fluid flows through the system, and the construction and operation of the system, all influence the system's ability to achieve the desired fluid quality level. If the fluid is severely contaminated, or passed through the system relatively quickly, the system must be constructed to rapidly remove contaminants. Often, such a system is relatively expensive to construct and operate, when compared to a system that removes contaminants at a slower rate.
In view of the preceding observations, it would be desirable to provide a system for removing relatively highly levels of impurities or contaminants from fluids efficiently, without undue complexity and expense. It would also be desirable to provide a system for treating fluids at relatively high flow rates, for at least specified intervals.